Wednesday, April 30, 2008

What better way to keep your drinks cool than by calling on the help of the coolest creatures known to man, the penguins.

This troop of penguin drink coolers have liquid insides, so you can put them in the freezer and when you need them they will be nice and cold. All you need to do is let them go for a swim in your drink and they will help to keep it nice and cool for longer. The great thing about using penguins to cool your drink is that once they have melted, they can be frozen and reused, rather than diluting you drink like the usual ice cubes do.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The African penguin is currently threatened and will probably soon be classified as endangered. The Seneca Park Zoo has one of the largest number of breeding pairs approved by the SSP.

Black-footed penguins are also called jackass penguins due to their braying call.

The Black-footed penguin population has suffered a greater decline in the past 80 years than any other penguin species. Until it was halted in 1969, intensive commercial egg collecting reduced the penguin numbers. Guano harvesters have removed a lot of the topsoil in areas where these penguins breed, leaving them less material in which to burrow. Commercial fisheries compete with penguins for food fish.

The biggest problem today is chronic oil spills from accidents and leaking tankers as well as waste from commercial boat traffic. These have polluted the waters off South Africa and contributed to the species' decline. Because of their concentrated numbers, the entire Black-footed penguin population could be wiped out by a catastrophic oil spill. This was nearly the case in 2000 when an oil spill came in the middle of the penguin's breeding season and thousands of chicks and eggs were expected to be lost.

Friday, April 25, 2008

World Penguin Day began many years ago when someone at NWC (Naval Weapons Center in Ridgecrest, California) became aware of the migration habits of the Antarctic penguin.

On April 25th of every year, the formally-clad penguins of the Antarctic continent begin an incredible northward migration. Penguins of great number all dive into that "wild blue under" and head North.

Curiously, they only swim about a hundred miles or so and after enjoying an extended "krill break," they all head back South and are home by supper time.

Penguin DreamsClick around with your mouse to wake up the penguin so he doesn't miss this day.

Pierre, a venerable 25 years old jackass penguin, was going bald, which left him with an embarrassingly exposed, pale pink behind.

Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of blubber to keep them warm, penguins rely on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to plunge into the California Academy of Sciences penguin tank and ended up shivering on the sidelines while his 19 peers played in the water.

Staff at Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of dive gear based in San Leandro, were enthusiastic about making a real penguin suit for Pierre.

Pierre was outfitted with the suit about six weeks ago. Since then, he has gained weight, grown back feathers on his hind parts and is again acting like his feisty, alpha-male self. With his plumage restored, Pierre is being weaned off the suit, taking more and more dips in the buff.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

" thanks to a combination of man-made climate change and increased fishing for krill - the bread and butter for many penguin species - these flightless birds are up against threats far greater than that posed by Magellan's hungry sailors.

The next few months may prove critical for the penguins, as a series of scientific conferences, culminating in an international policy meeting this fall, could make their lives easier - or perpetuate challenges for which millions of years of evolution never prepared them.

Over the next several months scientists and diplomats from many nations will hold a series of meetings, as policymakers prepare for the commission's annual gathering this fall. The Bush administration should ensure that the commission follows through on its pledge to implement its new polices for managing krill fishing."

This Little Blue is the world’s smallest penguin, normally found in southern Australia and New Zealand. It was found stranded at Cape Henderson south of Haga- Haga, South Africa, a few weeks ago.

This is possibly a first recording along the South African coast for the species. The penguin is currently being rehabilitated on a private nature reserve. It won’t be available for public viewing until authorities are happy it won’t spread any diseases or have any harmful effect on any of the local species.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Humboldt penguins at the Woodland Park Zoo have outlived their 60-year-old home, and plans are underway to build them a state-of-the-art natural exhibit area. The current facility was built in 1947 and was designed for seals and sea lions.

Part of the zoo's Long-Range Physical Development Plan, the new Humboldt Penguin Exhibit will be 17,000 square feet in size. Fundraising began two years ago and the zoo only has $1 million left to reach the $6 million goal.

The zoo is conducting their "Pennies for Penguins Community Coin Drive", inviting the public to turn their coins into cash at Coinstar Centers located at more than 300 area stores.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Osmund Smith was a 28 year old shepherd in 1948 when he saw the first pair of King penguins step ashore at Volunteer Point, 30 miles north east of Port Stanley, in the Falkland Islands. Little did he realize then, that 60 years on, in 2008, he would be reaping the benefits of their descendants and making thousands of pounds annually from their presence on the land which he now owns.

The penguin population at Volunteer Point today numbers 2,000. Build-up has been slow and laborious because initially very little protection from human interference was taken.

The Falklands king penguin colony is the most northern in the world and the most accessible. As many as 3,000 people visit Volunteer Point during the season which runs from November until the end of March. An increase in the number of large cruise vessels visiting the Falklands, several of which stay all day in the Islands, allows as many as 120 tourists to take the two and half hours drive across to the king penguin colony. It is not unexpected to see a convoy of 30-40 vehicles making their way over the grass track terrain to Volunteer Point when a cruise vessel visits Stanley.

Mr. Smith charges 15 pounds ($30) for each visitor to the KING penguin colony, and this generates a tidy turnover of around 40,000 pounds annually.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Penguin Ranch is a research outpost about 15 miles out from the coast on the frozen McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.

Paul Ponganis of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego helps run the Ranch, a large, fenced-in area that plays host each winter to a number of the giant birds.

Emperor penguins often access the sea—and their prey of fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods— through holes in Antarctic sea ice. Because the penguins only have access to the holes provided on site during the study period, the animals dive in and out right in front of the scientists who keep close tabs on the animals and their behavior.

With the help of special penguin-mounted cameras and other devices, the researchers learn not only how the animals live their day to day lives but also learn how the birds regulate oxygen for long, deep dives – a skill that is helping researchers understand hypoxia in people.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

The Seneca Park Zoo, which has 26 penguins, is among the top breeders of African penguins in North America. Since the zoo became part of a "Species Survival Plan" for penguins in the 1990s, 46 chicks have hatched there, including seven this year.

And more are on the way soon. One egg is expected to hatch Sunday, and a second should hatch about four days later.

A hundred years ago, more than a million African penguins roamed the Earth. That number now is about 150,000. Their decline has been brought on by factors such as overfishing, which cuts into their diet; hunting of their eggs, which are high in protein; and harvest of their guano — an exceptional fertilizer — which disturbs the penguins' breeding cycles. Oil spills also are a major threat.

Penguin particulars

The African penguin also is known as the black-footed penguin and formerly was known as the jackass penguin.

The animals' native habitat is the southwestern coast of Africa, where they live in colonies on islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay.

African penguins grow to about 2 feet high and 8 pounds. They are much smaller than the better-known Emperor penguins, which are 3½ feet tall and weigh 80 to 90 pounds.

Their main breeding season starts in February, and the incubation period is 38 to 42 days. Females lay two eggs that hatch about four days apart.

African penguins swim at an average speed of about 4½ miles per hour, with a top speed of about 12½ miles per hour.

The number of African penguins in the wild has dropped from about 1.5 million a century ago to roughly 150,000.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Hoiho is the Maori name for the yellow-eyed penguin. (Sometimes the Maori name 'Tauora' is used, too.) The Maori called this tall handsome penguin hoiho, which means 'noisy shouter', because its piercing call can be heard over the roar of the waves.

Hoiho is the only penguin with yellow eyes and a yellow band of feathers around its head, so it is called the `Yellow-eyed penguin'.

The scientific name for the hoiho is Megadyptes antipodes, which means 'large southern diver'.

According to palaentological knowledge, the hoiho is possibly the most ancient species of penguin.

Most penguins nest in crowded, noisy colonies but not the hoiho. Hoiho pairs nest apart from other penguins, so they need a lot more space than other penguins. Hoiho nest in forest or scrub, sometimes up to 1km from the sea. They can only be found on the south-east coast of New Zealand's South Island and some sub-Antarctic islands.

Hoiho stay near home all year, except for wandering young birds.

Hoiho will swim up to 40 kilometres from the shore in search of food. They can dive up to 120 metres deep and can reach speeds of 25 kilometres an hour in the water.

Hoiho come ashore from fishing in the evening, when the sun is setting.

While other penguin species return to their nest sites only for the breeding season, hoiho return to their nest sites most nights.

The hoiho can live to be over 20 years old and will usually stay with the same partner for life.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Put a little penguin in that party with great tasting Black and White Penguin Gummi Candy. Comes in individually wrapped 3 ounce cello bags with a silver penguin party label. These gummi penguins make great party treats or party favors. They are fruit flavored and approximately 1 inch tall.